solo study

[Alex Kurtzman]

I have an interest in learning longsword and arming sword and buckler, but unfortunately, there is really nobody else in my area with experience to study with. I go to college near Boston and I was going to try to see if I could get a group together interested in studying mediveal and renaissance swordsmanship and try to get someone from the higgins armoury study group to come out. . but until then, how would you reccomend I go about trying to study on my own?

I own both of John Clements's books as well as Terry Brown's English Martial Arts and the Medieval Sword and Shield book done on the Royal Armouries I.33 manuscript all of which I have read, and the Swordsman's Companion is on the way. I also have a longsword waster, an arming sword waster, and a buckler.

I have enough of a background in other martial arts and sport fencing that I am not completely lost on subjects like footwork and how to move my body, but any advice on how to begin my study would be more than welcome.

[Randall Pleasant]

Alex

Check out the Where To Start page on this site. Starting out I would suggest a lot of focus on learning the guards and moving smoothly from one guard to another. Take a look at the article The Basic Guards of Medieval Longsword. Learning how to parry (warding and counter cutting) correctly is also very import, thus take a look at How to Teach an Understanding of Parrying - Part I, How to Teach an Understanding of Parrying - Part II, and How to Teach an Understanding of Parrying - Part III.

Given that you are a college student I would suggest contacting the director of the Utah Study Group. The USG practices on the grounds of BYU and may be able to give you suggestions on starting a study group at your college.